Ramu violence: Truck Driver Discloses Attackers

COX’S BAZAR, Oct 7 (UNB): The truck driver who was arrested in connection with the sectarian violence in Ramu Sunday made his confessional statement disclosing the names of 4-5 people involved in the attacks.

A team of local police arrested truck driver Ramzan Ali, a resident of south Rajarkul village of Ramu Upazila, from Sitakund in Chittagong Friday.

Police produced him before the court of senior judicial magistrate Towhidul Haque Sunday when he made his confessional statement under Section 164.

In his statement, Ramzan told the court that he parked his vehicle in the bus terminal in Sadar Upazila of Cox’s Bazar and at about 11pm on Sept 29 some 10-15 people forced him to go to Ramu carrying them.

“They forced me to carry them to Ramu and later took part in the attacks on pagodas,” he said.

“The driver identified 4-5 of them and disclosed their names,” court inspector Mohammad Jahangir told the news agency. The court inspector, however, did not disclose the names.

Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman Sunday said the Ramu violence was not only an attack on the Buddhist community, but also an attack on the whole nation.

“It’s a premeditated blueprint it’s not only an attack on the Buddhist community but also an attack on whole Bangladesh,” he told reporters at his Moghbazar office in the city.

He alleged that the Ramu attack would not have been broken out had there been no support from local influential quarter. “People equipped with arms and sticks were brought to Ramu from many remote areas to join the midnight mayhem.”

Mizanur Rahman questioned the reluctance of the local administration to go on action, allowing the attackers to gather in their hundreds. “Why did the local administration buy time in taking steps, why did the administration allow this time?”

He urged the authorities concerned to be careful so that no innocent person faces harassment in the name of arrest and trial. “It won’t be good to make the Ramu incident a political issue.”

The NHRC boss said they will recommend the government some suggestions regarding the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.

A sectarian violence broke out at Ramu Upazila in Cox’s Bazar on the night of Sept 29 after a Buddhist youth reportedly posted a photograph on the wall of his facebook account disgracing the holy Quran.